My homeschool journal: a quiet week

In my life this week...It was a pretty quiet week with the 2 older kids at Grandma's and Grandpa's for half the week.  Literally, it was really quiet.  You would think that with only the 2 littlest at home it would still be pretty loud.  Apparently the big kids cause just as much noise around here!  It was a nice break, but I'm glad they are back today (Saturday).  They had a blast, and Aaron did great for his first time away at his grandparents house.

In our homeschool this week...it was the 2 little guys for most of the week, so we didn't get much done as far as school work.  It was a lot of playing, life school, co-op, and whatever else came up.

I made a peg + cat game.  Printed from pbskids.org.  We played this one morning.

Peg + cat is a new favorite show around here.  Aric couldn't wait to play this game.

I laminated it so we can play it a lot!

We learned a little about bats one day.  I made this bat for Aric to label.

Some of the other bat projects we did...drawing a bat, and a bat craft.  We also read the Usborne beginning reader about bats.

 

 Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share... If you're looking for a great way to understand Shakespeare I highly recommend these books.  April picked up No fear Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream at the library.  She came to me very excited after reading the first few pages saying "I get it!  I can read Shakespeare!"  She read the whole book in less than a week, and was able to add one more play read to her list of "read, watched, or listened" to.  She's hoping to make it to 17 to be crowned a Queen.  One boy in her co-op class has already read 17 and has been crowned!  Anyway, great books, these are.



Places we're going and people we're seeing...Monday we had a great adventure at the beginning of the week joining some friends for frozen yogurt at limeberry, and then letterboxing afterward.  That was a fun outing, and if you aren't familiar with letterboxing it's basically looking for a box/bag hidden somewhere using clues and collecting stamps.  Tuesday we had a great day at the zoo.  Wednesday was Life academy (co-op), and then the big kids headed to Grandparents house.  Thursday I took the 2 little boys swimming.  Friday was library day, and McDonald's for lunch (special treat for the boys).  Then today Aric had a soccer game in the morning, and then we met up with Grandma and Grandpa at Costco to get the older 2 kiddos back.

Alex's pumpkin life cycle from the library homeschool group on Friday

Aric's pumpkin life cycle from the library homeschool group on Friday

My favorite thing this week was...helping April prepare her talk for a young women's thing at church on Sunday evening.  She had no idea what she wanted to say.  She was really stressing about it, and kept saying she couldn't do it.  I loved that I could just sit down with her, and take the time to help her.  I loved seeing it come together both on paper and in her mind, and that she could see how it all works out even when you're stressed and unsure of where to go when preparing something like a talk.  Heavenly Father works in wonderful ways!

My kiddos favorite thing this week was...Aric finally got his birthday money from Great Grandma that he was told to expect (last July).  He loved going to the toy store and picking something out.

Things I'm working on...listening/catching up on the sessions of general conference that I missed.  I have discovered that I can just set up my ipad by the sink and listen while I'm doing dishes or cooking.  This technology just amazes me.  I remember when we had to go to the church building just to see the conference, and now here it is right on my counter as I work.

Things Hubby is working on...he spent a good portion of last Saturday power washing our driveway.  It looks so good!

 I'm cooking... I only got one good dinner on the table this week, Easy baked chicken parmesan.  Yep, I fell off the dinner train this week, and I'm hoping to get back on soon!  Hubby did make some yummy grilled chicken and saffron rice for tonight's dinner.  I'm so glad he likes to cook too!

I'm grateful for...quiet afternoons where we can listen to music and draw/color, and let all our "to do's" go.  Those don't come very often around here, but it happened once this week and I was grateful.



I rewarded my kids this week by...I bought the 2 little boys who didn't get to go to Grandparents house a little lego set while we were at the toy store for a little surprise the next day.  They had fun putting these little giraffes together.

Some photos to share... of our family during the Sunday morning session of general conference.  My kids love to do the conference packets with little mazes, games and crafts while they listen.

April and Aaron worked together to make this mobil of the Prophet and the 12 apostles.

Alex glued some pictures of the speakers at conference.

Aric put the armor of God on his "person."

I try to get together a little kit with all the things they'll need including snacks, craft supplies, and a white board.  I didn't have anything new for them this time, and they still loved them.  I just grabbed stuff from around the house, and used the unfinished packets from last conference.

All 4 of them ready for conference to start.

 I am linking up with The Homeschool Mother's Journal.  Hope you had a great week too!

Desiree